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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 25, 2020

Rafael Nadal

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

R. NADAL/P. Carreno Busta

6-1, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Pretty comfortable out there today. Wondering how it felt for you?
RAFAEL NADAL: Good, yeah. It was my best match of the tournament so far, without a doubt. Big difference between today and the previous days.

I have been serving well, starting to create damage with the forehand. Hitting serve on one shot, I think.

Q. Does that make you feel more confident heading into your next match?
RAFAEL NADAL: Every day is a different story. But, of course, is important to make steps forward. It's clear that today I make an important one.

Q. If it is Nick Kyrgios, a lot of history between you two, do you like Nick? Do you get on with him?
RAFAEL NADAL: If I what?

Q. Do you like Nick Kyrgios? Do you get on with him?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I don't know him personally, honestly, to have a clear opinion. Yeah, my answer is better to...

It's clear, of course, that when he does stuff that in my opinion is not good, I don't like. When he plays good tennis and he shows passion for this game, he is a positive player for our tour, and I want my tour bigger, not smaller.

So the players who make the tour bigger are important for the tour. When he's ready to play his best tennis and play with passion, is one of these guys.

When he's doing the other stuff, of course I don't like.

Q. How much, if any, did you catch Roger's match yesterday?
RAFAEL NADAL: I watch almost everything, yeah. I did room service yesterday. I don't know, I finish my lunch very late, so I decided to stay in the room. I was watching some series, on and off with the match. But I watched a lot of it.

Q. If you followed it, did you see the final tiebreaker? What is your comment on the fact that Federer had 82 unforced errors, was down in the tiebreaker, suddenly the last six points he didn't make any mistakes? It was also Millman who had a letdown or Federer who was playing much better, in your opinion?
RAFAEL NADAL: Honestly, my feeling is an analysis that is not correct because when you are 8-4 in the tiebreak, of course if you win six points, is obviously you didn't make an unforced error. At the same time have been a good match for Millman.

I don't want to analyze the match for the last six points, honestly. Has been a good match for Millman. Roger, I think, played a little bit up and down. But in the fifth he started to push when he was break down. I think he started to play very aggressive.

The last six points, if you analyze the last six points, I think John made couple of mistakes honestly. He was not missing balls, and then he missed with his two serves, two long balls. With the 8-7, I think Roger did a small slice down the line. Even John had the chance to hit the passing shot with his forehand. Was long, too.

Anything could happen, but Federer is Federer.

Q. We have the Laver Cup, the Davis Cup with its tradition, great aspects of the Madrid competition, then the ATP Cup. Is that too much? Should they be combined? Your thoughts on that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, my opinion is very clear. Two competitions, team competitions, in less than a month is not good for our sport. Is good for some players, of course, because they are able to get the higher prize money.

But my feeling is we cannot look at the small picture. We have to look at the bigger picture. With the bigger picture, normally there is better chances for everyone. Even if at this moment probably two competitions are able to help players to win some money, I think in the future we need one big picture. With a bigger picture in some way they going to get the money without being necessary to be two competitions.

Is not good. Is strange for the spectators to watch the Davis Cup, that is a World Cup, and now ATP Cup, that is like new competition in one month. Spectators have been excited with Davis Cup. Now first competition, official competition, they are watching again on the tour is another team competition almost exactly like.

I don't think is positive. I think we need to be together. We need to make something big, and one World Cup. That's my point of view. But is just my point of view. I am right or not, but that's my opinion. Normally when I come here and you ask me for opinions, I say my personal opinion. My personal opinion is clear: there is no one other sport that have two World Cups in one month.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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